Cactus Culture for Amateurs eBook

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

The Cactus family is not popular among English horticulturists
in these days, scarcely half a dozen species out of
about a thousand known being considered good enough
to be included among favourite garden plants.
Probably five hundred kinds have been, or are, in cultivation
in the gardens of the few specialists who take an
interest in Cactuses; but these are practically unknown
in English horticulture. It is not, however,
very many years ago that there was something like a
Cactus mania, when rich amateurs vied with each other
in procuring and growing large collections of the
rarest and newest kinds.

“About the year 1830, Cacti began to be specially
patronised by several rich plant amateurs, of whom
may be mentioned the Duke of Bedford, who formed a
fine collection at Woburn Abbey, the Duke of Devonshire,
and Mr. Harris, of Kingsbury. Mr. Palmer, of
Shakelwell, had become possessed of Mr. Haworth’s
collection, to which he greatly added by purchases;
he, however, found his rival in the Rev. H. Williams,
of Hendon, who formed a fine and select collection,
and, on account of the eagerness of growers to obtain
the new and rare plants, high prices were given for
them, ten, twelve, and even twenty and thirty guineas
often being given for single plants of the Echinocactus.
Thus private collectors were induced to forward from
their native countries—­chiefly from Mexico
and Chili—­extensive collections of Cacti.”
(quoting J. Smith. A.L.S., ex-Curator of the
Royal Gardens. Kew).

This reads like what might be written of the position
held now in England by the Orchid family, and what
has been written of Tulips and other plants whose
popularity has been great at some time or other.
Why have Cactuses gone out of favour? It is impossible
to give any satisfactory answer to this question.
No doubt they belong to that class of objects which
is only popular whilst it pleases the eye or tickles
the fancy; and the eye and the fancy having tired of
it, look to something different.

The general belief with respect to Cactuses is that
they are all wanting in beauty, that they are remarkable
only in that they are exceedingly curious in form,
and as a rule very ugly. It is true that none
of them possess any claims to gracefulness of habit
or elegance of foliage, such as are usual in popular
plants, and, when not in flower, very few of the Cactuses
would answer to our present ideas of beauty with respect
to the plants we cultivate. Nevertheless, the
stems of many of them (see Frontispiece, Fig. 1) are
peculiarly attractive on account of their strange,
even fantastic, forms, their spiny clothing, the absence
of leaves, except in very few cases, and their singular
manner of growth. To the few who care for Cactuses
there is a great deal of beauty, even in these characters,
although perhaps the eye has to be educated up to
it.